The Keys to Ascension Page 26

  #

  Theto drooped as he saw the big guy get up and stroll to a weapon rack to pick up his wooden shield and large axe. He showed a grin through his brown beard as he approached Theto, who focused his limited energy on a strategy to defeat the guy.

  The Master cast his shield on the two of them. As he began to move his mouth to start the match, Theto summoned Yepiera’s power. He created two images of himself on top of himself. Then, he stepped to the left and one of the images stepped to the right. Twenty-Six’s smile left his face as the fight began.

  The three Theto’s charged. The big man released his slowing magic on the center image, but it had no effect on the illusion. Theto lunged with his sword. The man moved his shield to block the side image while slowing the real Theto. It was too late. Even slowed, Theto’s sword shattered the Master’s magic as the side illusion’s sword moved through the wooden shield like a ghost.

  Ch. 47

  Over the next month, Theto trained harder than The Divinity’s justice. He made up with Perlio and Hibb, and each taught them more of their respective skills. Theto ran with the front of the pack and continued to win fights.

  He stood with the rows of novices this morning, awaiting to watch, or take part in, the duels. Theto was obsessed with obtaining number one and maintaining it for three weeks. Then he could move onto the next level. He already knew he was no novice, but he had to advance officially. Once the next level was gained, he could accept mercenary jobs and take a break from schooling. Maybe…he could run into the girl, or even his mother.

  The Master scanned the novices. “Number Five.” Theto stepped forward. “And Number Four. Prepare to fight.”

  Theto grabbed his swords. He had never fought Number Four, but had seen him in action. His mini earthquakes set his opponents off balance, then he’d elegantly strike with his two-handed sword.

  Theto discussed this rival with his uncle and recalled Hibb’s words. “It’s a great challenge for an illusionist. Maintaining several self-illusions that all balance realistically on quaking ground is a daunting task. Achieve that, and your brain will be prepared to take on other magical challenges.” Hibb created the illusion of earthquakes so Theto could practice. He never quite got it down, but as his mind focused on battle, he knew he had to rise to the occasion.

  “Go.”

  Theto made thirteen illusions of himself, all jogging to encircle his enemy. Number Four stood defensively, holding his shinny blue sword over his shoulder. He yelled and the ground shook. At this point in his training, Theto had the balance of a meowy. He instinctively adjusted to the quaking earth, but with Number Four’s excellent swordsmanship, only a slight disruption to Theto’s stances could mean failure.

  Theto focused on his largest challenge, making the quakes affect all thirteen illusions the same as it affected him, and making them react in the exact same way. Number Four precisely only shook the ground under Theto and his images.

  Number Four surveyed the images that surrounded him. Theto stood just left to Four’s starting gaze. Theto expected him to scan away from him; he did. Four took his time, carefully inspecting each image. Knowing Four would recognize the real one once he examined him, Theto had to attack before that happened.

  Theto meticulously manipulated the magic to maintain the balancing illusions until he saw Four’s back. Then, all images and himself charged. Four expertly swung his sword to block five swords, but none of them were real. The point of Theto’s right blade hit Four’s back and the protective magic shattered.

  The Master gave Theto three more fights that day. Theto achieved Number One. He’d have to fight every day for three weeks, but if he could keep winning, he’d graduate to adept.

  #

  On a Sunday morning, Theto strolled along the edge of town toward Hibb’s house. He expected his uncle would be relaxing with his secretary. Eating an apple as he walked, Theto closed his eyes as its juicy sugars pleasured his tongue. From this approach to his Hibb’s house, the road ran over a hill that allowed Theto to see the farms in the distance over the medium-sized spread out city. A few prominent temples stole the skyline, each with their order’s unique architecture.

  A tree stretched over the path ahead. From a branch, hung a red string connected to a red envelope. Looks like a lover’s note. He smiled, then sighed. With fleeing his home and then training, he had little time for girls.

  He glanced at the envelope one last time before walking by it. He paused. On it was the sigil of his father’s house. Hyzantrians didn’t use the old sigils much anymore, but he still knew it.

  Yanking the envelope off the tree, he opened it, revealing a folded notecard. He unfolded the card, finding a note written in gold, elegant handwriting. Theto. You are almost there. An adept. I hope my shield has helped you in your success. Please keep winning, for you are not to be a simple warrior monk. I am not who you think I am.

  Theto lifted his eyes from the letter. “Who do I think you are? You’re too mysterious for me to even guess!”

  His eyes returned to the letter. Great changes are coming and you and your brothers have a key role to play. Please learn as much as you can. Become skilled. You will need all the skill you can acquire to survive. And please, trust no one. The movers of this change have spies everywhere.

  Theto closed the note and put it back in the envelope. How did she know I’d find this first? Is she watching me? He scanned the area around him. My brothers…I hope they’re okay. Will I ever see them again?

  Theto stared at the powerful red of the envelope. He sucked in his breath. I need more information to go off of! What is this supposed to mean?

  He stared at nothing for a moment. I’ve got to be wary and focus on bettering myself.

  #

  Blades flashed toward Theto. Straight toward him, from the side, from underneath, and coming down on him from above. Perlio didn’t let up, but Theto parried or dodged every attack, then struck with his own deadly dance of steel.

  Perlio chuckled over the clinging of swords. “You’re almost as good as me now.” He parried several attacks just in time. Before taking the offensive again. “And you need to be. I need you to stay alive. You’re special.”

  “Heh. Are you in love with me?” Theto struggled to block several quick strikes, then Perlio jumped and twirled in the air, coming down with both his swords. Theto jumped to the side before coming after Perlio who snapped to face him.

  While parrying strikes, Perlio said, “Do you believe in The Divinity?”

  Grunting into hard attacks intended to shake up an opponent, Theto said, “Of course.”

  Perlio elegantly redirected the hard strikes, making it more difficult for Theto to pull his swords back in to cover himself. “You believe even after The Divinity’s Inquisition killed your father and exiled your mother?”

  Theto parried, on the defensive again. “Killed my father? I suspected it, but I never knew for sure.”

  Perlio frowned, letting up his attack. Both boys dropped their arms to their sides, standing still. “Yes, I still have contact with family back home. The Authority executed your father.”

  “I’ve never accepted that The Authority or the Inquisition perfectly translated The Divinity’s will. But…I admit I have my doubts about everything. I honestly don’t think about it much.”

  They strolled to a table and lifted large cups of water. As Perlio sipped, Theto held his cup. “I don’t know what else to believe.”

  Perlio swallowed. “High beings. They are real. They are powerful. Maybe they should rule.”

  “No no. It’s The Divinity’s right to rule, not the high beings. They are just our friends.”

  Staring Theto straight in the eyes, Perlio said, “The Divinity doesn’t exist.”

  They both sipped from their cups and wiped sweat from their brows.

  “Okay,” Perlio said, “just for discussion…Assume The Divinity doesn’t exist. If not, then who should rule?”

  “The people for the good o
f all.”

  Perlio pointed toward Theto. “You’ve seen what people do. They’re foolish. They’re weak. High beings should rule.”

  “Maybe,” Theto stared at the ground. “Might doesn’t make right.” He looked back at his friend. “But if the high beings ruling was best for all…”

  Perlio pumped a fist. “Okay. Even if you don’t accept that the High Beings should rule by natural right, you should because it is the best for all. The high beings are wiser and more powerful than any human king or emperor. They would create more food, entertainment, and power for everyone.”

  Power for us all? Usually power is relative to others.

  “Look Theto, I’m gonna level with you. But this is between you and me, got it?”

  They locked eyes, then Theto nodded.

  Perlio Smiled. “I’m a part of a group that wants to make the world better. I was born a peasant, but my lord belonged to the group, and saw that my family could be excellent fighters and spies. They elevated us and told us the truth about the High Beings and The Divinity. Come. I want to show you something.”

  Theto followed him out of the gym. He had no idea where Perlio was getting all this stuff. Hyzantrian nobles who don’t believe in The Divinity? Really?

  Perlio led them to his bunk, he lifted the sheets, then squeezed his hand into a small slit in the bed. He pulled out transparent purple shards, then placed them on the bed.

  Theto snickered. “Beautiful. For me, honey?”

  Shaking his head, Perlio grinned. “These are the most powerful objects in the world. That is, other than you and your brothers?”

  What?

  “Theto. I didn’t come here for fun. I’m in Blastonin to learn new skills and to report to my group. Oh, you should have seen the smile on my face when I figured out who you were. I’ve been reporting about you, and helping you to ensure one of the keys didn’t die.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re intrigued huh? I have so much to tell you, but I’ve received new orders. The leaders are afraid that if you become an adept we’ll lose track of you. I’m to take you to them. Come with me. Let me show you the truth of this world and the meaning of power.”

  Theto looked from side to side, then grinned at his friend. “What?”

  Perlio stared at him with dead seriousness. “Please. This training will look like nothing once I show you what high beings are meant to do.”

  Theto shook his head. “You’re crazy man. I’m gonna eat and rest. I want tomorrow’s fight to be my last, and this new guy looks like quite the challenge.” He turned to leave the room.

  Perlio shouted after him, “He and you are nothing compared to what we will be after the true transformation!”

  Theto approached the exit.

  Perlio yelled, “Stop!”

  Theto turned.

  Perlio held the shards in his hands. Theto’s magic senses exploded as a rush of energy boomed from Perlio. The shards and Perlio glowed a pinkish-purple. He shook, holding a crazy while releasing breathy laughs.

  The shards snapped into smoke and Perlio’s skin gave off a purple tint, then his bones cracked and he grew in height and width. His skin became dark purple with bulging veins running down his body. Tentacles protruded from his back; they poked up into the air before bending slightly and pointing behind him.

  Theto turned and ran. “Help! We’re under attaaaaack!” The snaps and groans of the transformation continued as Theto ran out the building where The Master watched a handful of adepts train. “Perlio has transformed into a monster!”

  They paused and looked at him like he was a crazy person.

  Then, a monstrous Perlio dashed out of temple. He halted. “Time to finish the possession.” While screaming, he grew taller than the temple itself. In an evil alteration of Perlio’s voice, he said, “Come with me.”

  He flashed an open veiny palm toward Theto. Out from it extended three tentacles. Theto threw up his shield, blocking the gross, vein-filled, fleshy things.

  The Master pointed toward the monster. The adepts sprinted to surround it on three sides, the forth side being the temple itself. In seconds, beams and balls of ice, fire, and a variety of arcane magics flew at Perlio. He dodged some, knocked a few away with his giant hands, while others hit, forcing him to grimace.

  He leapt over some adepts. They rolled out of the way, but mid-roll, Perlio’s palm tentacles reached out and grabbed them around the necks, or ankles, or wrists. He flung them away. They hit the ground with crunches. Most didn’t get back up.

  Meanwhile, Theto created ten illusions of himself and spread them out. Perlio’s gaze jumped from illusion to illusion. Theto wanted to attack, but he had no means to hurt a giant demon.

  The Master somehow appeared above Perlio, coming down on him with a large rod. The monster jerked its head out of the way just in time, the rod slamming into its shoulder. The back tentacles, which came to sharp points, stabbed toward the Master, who evaded atop Perlio’s shoulders. Adepts threw more magic attacks, sometimes hitting and hurting Perlio.

  The Master reared back his rod, then slammed it into Perlio’s head. Perlio bellowed, but his back tentacles didn’t stop stabbing at The Master, who was forced to jump, duck, and twist his torso rather than press the attack. Perlio’s hand tentacles kept launching at the adepts, catching a few of them before flinging them to their likely injury or possible death.

  The undefeated Number Two dashed from the temple, dodging a few tentacles then sprinting up the monster’s back. The Master flashed around on Perlio’s shoulder, the striking back tentacles getting closer and closer. Just like Number Two fought in matches, he carried no weapons as he joined Master Rena.

  As tentacles missed the Master, Number Two struck them with his bare hands and feet.

  The surrounding adepts struggled to survive, barely able to throw any new attacks. Most lay scattered on the ground moaning or not moving.

  Perlio’s back tentacles flashed toward the two men on his shoulders, but they dodged and struck back. The tentacles turned black and blue with bruises as Perlio growled in frustration.

  All his tentacles stopped attacking. He roared as his skin shook. Number Two and The Master struggled to maintain their balance as Perlio’s shoulder shook them like an earthquake. The skin didn’t just vibrate, but bubbled and deformed. A top layer of Perlio’s skin blasted off him, launching the two men with it.

  They both summersaulted, landing on their feet on different sides of the monster, who laughed wildly as his hand tentacles sprung forward.

  Master Rena yelled, “Fall back!”

  “Ha ha haaaaa. No escape!”

  Perlio’s eyes suddenly went wide. “Why did they give me so few shards!?”

  He turned and sprinted away from the temple. He started shrinking. The Master, the adepts, and Theto ran after him; Master Rena leading the way.

  Perlio put hundreds of yards between them, running as a dwindling monster, but he stopped once he was human. His pale white, naked skin shined in everyone’s eyes. He curled forward slightly with his hands in front of him. He bent over some sort of object—with a round center and three crystal shapes jutting out of it.

  He said, “Please help. I am loyal to the cause. Please save me. Please. Please.”

  Sprinting toward him, The Master opened his hand toward Perlio. The object blasted away from him, bouncing on the ground ahead of him.

  Master Rena stopped a few yards away from Perlio, others halted a few yards behind The Master. Everyone breathed heavily.

  The object on the ground glowed a purplish-pink light, so did Perlio. The lights grew and deepened until neither object nor boy could be seen through it. Then, the light, the object, and Perlio…disappeared.

  Ch. 48

  “Number One, Number Two, to the center.”

  Theto stood. As he walked past the students toward the racks to get his two swords, it was almost as if every student pressured him with some sort of magic, like all their p
ower bore down upon him. But it was no magic; all just knew the importance of this match. If Theto won, he’d be an adept tomorrow. If he lost, he’d start all over. And, Number Two had never lost. He tore his way up the ranks from the day he joined, and even showed his skill in real battle against Perlio. He did all this, without using a single weapon…other than skin and bone.

  Theto approached him with a sword in each hand. Number Two’s bald head and loose robes were motionless. His face stared straight ahead without emotion. Theto had to find a way to win. Training was beginning to kill him. He had to get away for a while. He had to see what there was to find in this world. But he couldn’t; not without this victory.

  “Go.”

  Theto charged. Number Two didn’t move a muscle as Theto bore down on him with two swords. The swords sliced through twirling smoke as Number Two appeared behind Theto. Knowing a few lightning pummels from his opponent’s palms could break The Master’s shield, Theto flashed around, swinging a sword to ward of attack, but it hit smoke and again, Number Two appeared behind Theto.

  Theto threw up his shield while spinning. Number Two made no attempt to strike, like he anticipated the shield. Theto launched a flurry of swords strikes. Number Two dodged and twisted around. Theto didn’t go all in, he wanted to keep his distance, he didn’t want Number Two to realize he fought an illusion.

  Theto had not mastered invisibility from all sides like his Uncle, but he could portray it from one side. Theto stood in front of the weapon racks with a real sword in each hand, controlling the illusion of himself, maintaining the invisibility, extending his shield when needed, and even making Number Two’s smoke appear to move like a real sword sliced through it. It required great concentration, but became easier after a few minutes. He inched forward, making sure he displayed what was behind him as he moved. He couldn’t let Number Two see the real him until it was too late.